I placed an order with Jon at JKI 4 months ago for a gyuto with a western-wa handled "Like Adam's (Watercrawl)." At the time it was the most incredible looking knife that I had seen and imagined using. The profile looked amazing and combined with the handle, I had to have one. So I placed an order for a 270mm Konosuke white#2 gyuto, with a western-wa handle.

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4369/32754410150280962388860.jpg
http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/92/33720710150280962403860.jpg
(All image credits belong to Jon at JKI- my camera sucks and these are much better than I can do.)
I have used the knife for two services at work on the factory edge, and I have to say that it is the best cutting knife that I have used. I am comparing it to a Nenox 240mm SD gyuto, 270mm Konosuke HD gyuto, coworker's Hiromoto AS santoku and another cook's Ashi (not the Gesshin line).
I can very confidently say this knife will replace the Konosuke HD in my bag. Everything that I cut with the HD seems 10x easier with the Fujiyama gyuto. All signs point to this knife being the best cutter in my bag.

mhenry

09-07-2011, 11:39 AM

Very Nice!!! +1, Awesome knife

riverie

09-07-2011, 11:51 AM

beautiful. i always like that handle !!!

phan1

09-08-2011, 02:17 AM

Very nice! I'm assuming it's a totally different beast then the HD? Also, those konosuke western handles are so ridiculously sexy. Are the comfortable to use? The cladding is carbon as well right? It's a very unique design.

I really love konosuke. The price is right and they have a great sense of style leaving their mark on the backside with the frontside left blank. The most aesthetically pleasing knife brand out there as far as I'm concerned.

jhmaass

09-08-2011, 03:05 AM

It is an entirely different beast. The Fujiyama isn't nearly as thin as the HD, but I think it cuts better. The knife is incredibly thin at the edge and behind, but tapers up the blade to something a little more substantial. Not thick, by any means, it's still a thin knife. I think that you feel the cuts a lot more with this knife than with the HD, which I see as a great thing. Having used this knife, I want to sharpen my HD and use it for a while to get a more accurate comparison.

The handle is the most comfortable wa handle that I have used; and I would put the handle in general right around the Nenox handles, which are the most comfortable handles that I have ever used. I haven't felt the need to put the knife down (or wanted to) for the 24+ hours I have had the knife in my hand using it.

Yes, the cladding is carbon as well.

The car analogy has been floating around on here for a while, if this knife were a car... it would be a BMW M5.

Twistington

09-08-2011, 04:49 AM

So pretty in it's simplicity, profile looks nice aswell!

mpukas

09-08-2011, 01:17 PM

Thanks for posting you thoughts on the Fuki - I've been curious about them and relly didn't know anything. How's the reactivity of the cladding?

jhmaass

09-08-2011, 01:42 PM

It's not bad. I panicked a little at work and scrubbed some orange patina or rust off (left it unwiped for a few minutes with something on the knife during a rush), and other than that it hasn't been a problem.

AMP01

09-08-2011, 11:50 PM

That knife looks Sweeeet !!! Do you have an more pics?

Cheers,

Andrew

jhmaass

09-09-2011, 12:59 AM

There are some on Japanese Knife Imports' facebook page, but I'm going to try and get some more pics here soon. I will definitely post them when I get them.